Man arrested in fatal shooting of Doordash delivery driver in New Jersey
PATERSON, New Jersey -- Authorities have made an arrest in connection with the fatal shooting of a food delivery driver in New Jersey.
Quadir Whitaker is charged with first-degree murder and weapons offenses in the October 4 death of Petra Rhoden.
The 43-year-old Paterson woman was shot several times in her car while making a late-night delivery near Harrison Street and Rosa Parks Boulevard in Paterson
She continued driving after she was shot but ultimately rammed through a fence and crashed into a shed.
The shooter got into the passenger seat of a vehicle waiting nearby and fled the scene.
Authorities say the investigation revealed the suspect's vehicle had been following the victim's vehicle as she was picking up food at a local drive through and making her last delivery.
Whitaker was later identified as the driver of the vehicle assisting the shooter.
"We are deeply saddened by the loss of Petra Rhoden, a Paterson-area Dasher, and our thoughts are with her family, friends and loved ones," a DoorDash spokesperson said in a statement after the shooting. "We have reached out to her family to offer our full support to them during this difficult time. In addition, we are in contact with law enforcement and cooperating with their investigation of this horrific crime."
The Passaic County Prosecutor's Office asks anyone with additional information about this incident to contact us on our tips line at 1-877-370-PCPO or tips@passaiccountynj.org or contact the Paterson Police Detective Bureau at 973-321-1120.
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